


Shining Live

by SilenceOfTheCookies



Category: Uta no Prince-sama
Genre: Androids, Angst, Breakup, Character Death, Comfort, Drinking at a Bar, F/M, Fluff, Marriage Proposal, Terminal Illnesses, Tutoring
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-29
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:01:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24445474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilenceOfTheCookies/pseuds/SilenceOfTheCookies
Summary: A collection of one-shots, all based on Utapri songs. Pairings and tags will update as I go. Warnings are written at the top of each chapter.
Relationships: Camus (Uta no Prince-sama)/Reader, Kotobuki Reiji/Reader, Kurosaki Ranmaru/Reader, Mikaze Ai/Reader, Shinomiya Natsuki/Reader
Comments: 7
Kudos: 34





	1. Natsuki Shinomiya - Southern Cross Waltz

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: none

Natsuki entered the room where they would be holding the photoshoot. No matter how many times he had a photoshoot, the atmosphere would always make him excited and eager to do his best. He politely greeted the staff as he passed them, and they greeted back. A woman with an earpiece in ran up to him. 

“Shinomiya-san! I’m sorry, our photographer has not arrived yet. She got caught up in the traffic. Go ahead and get changed, I’ll send her to you once she’s arrived.”

Natsuki nodded and headed towards the changing room. The shoot would be promotion for a new brand of children's cookies, shaped like animals. Natsuki had received a sample of the cookies before the shoot and he was surprised at how good they tasted. He loved how all cookies were in the shape of cute animals. Much like the packaging of the cookies, Natsuki’s costume for the day was simple and had only soft colors.

Once Natsuki had changed into the costume, he exited the room to check the decor he would be shooting in. It seemed like a normal garden, but next to the shoot area were animal cages lined up. He quickly walked over to see a lot of cats and dogs, calmly waiting in their cages. He petted a few, until he heard someone call his name. The voice clearly belonged to a woman. Natsuki turned around, and his eyes widened. In front of him stood the cutest girl he had ever seen. She was a bit out of breath but was still smiling. 

“I’m sorry I’m late, I’m Y/N, I’ll be your photographer today. I hope I haven’t made you wait for too long?”  
“Not at all, I just got changed.”  
“Oh, that’s a relief! I see you’ve found the animals? They’ll be joining you on the set to promote the cookies. We’ll need cute pictures with each of them for the promotional posters. They’ll also be making these pictures into stickers that the children can collect. Are you ready?”

While she was explaining the shoot, Natsuki couldn’t look away from her face. She smiled brightly while she explained the concept of the shoot, and her eyes sparkled with excitement. Her eyes were a beautiful E/C, and Natsuki found himself lost in them. 

“Shinomiya-san? Are you ready?”  
“Oh, yes, I am! Sorry, I spaced out there a bit.”

The woman laughed and got her camera from her bag, Natsuki watched her for a bit longer before moving to the set. He tried to focus on the shoot, but the beautiful photographer kept drawing his attention. He made a mental note to try to get her number before shifting his attention to the cat who was now pawing at his leg for attention. 

\---

Natsuki looked back fondly at their first meeting. He had gotten her number at the end of the day, and not a week after they had their first date. The two instantly clicked and they began dating in secret. Shining Entertainment still didn’t allow their idols to have relationships, but Natsuki truly felt like this woman was the one he was destined to meet, and he was not planning on letting her go over a stupid rule like that. 

Months turned to years, and it didn’t take the members of Starish long to find out their friend was seeing someone. Syo was the first to know. He had entered their shared room and Natsuki hadn’t noticed him because he was too focused on his phone. Syo looked over Natsuki’s shoulder as he walked past him, noticing Natsuki looking at a bunch of pictures of a H/C girl, some of her alone and some of them together. Ren was the next one to find out. He had claimed Natsuki’s singing had become more passionate, especially the love songs. Natsuki turned bright red at the comment, which gave it away. After that Natsuki just told the others, knowing they’d eventually find out anyway. None of them told Shining. They were all very happy their friend had found his ‘soulmate’, as Natsuki called her. He didn’t like calling her his girlfriend, as she felt like so much more than just a girlfriend to him. 

And today, Natsuki wanted to make sure of that. 

He and Y/N were out on another date. They had just had a lovely dinner, and right now Natsuki was walking her home. He urged her to take a little detour, because he ‘wanted to talk to her longer’. Of course, this was true too, but it was not the real reason he wanted to take the detour. He checked his pocket for the little navy box he had been hiding all day, before taking her hand and guiding her to a little park in the center of the city. The park had a little lake, which perfectly reflected the full moon in the sky above them. Natsuki took out his phone and turned on some calm music before asking Y/N to dance with him. She laughed, but accepted. There was no one else in the park at this hour, and Natsuki felt the time had stopped around them. 

“I love you.” 

He whispered silently, just loud enough for Y/N to hear. From the very first time Natsuki said those words to her, she’d always blush whenever she heard them. In the beginning she’d avert her eyes too, but she stopped doing that a few years ago. She kept looking him in the eye and smiled, leaning up to for a kiss. Natsuki leaned down a bit to meet her halfway.

“I love you too.” 

She whispered back once they parted. Being with her like this in the moonlight made Natsuki feel like he was dreaming. He stopped dancing and took a step back from Y/N. She gave him a confused look, which soon turned to surprise when he dropped down to one knee in front of her. 

“Y/N, I fell in love with you when you first called my name all those years ago. Even after an eternity has passed, I wouldn’t want to leave your side. Please, will you marry me?” 

Natsuki pulled the box out of his breast pocket and opened it, revealing a beautiful ring. Y/N’s eyes started tearing, and while the first tears fell down from her eyes, she nodded and whispered a ‘yes’. 

Natsuki smiled and took her hand, putting the ring on her finger before wrapping his arms around her and kissing her once again. Finally, he could stop referring to her as his girlfriend and start referring to her as his wife.


	2. Mikaze Ai - Winter Blossom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: character death, angst

Carefully, Ai pushed her wheelchair through the snow. The park was mostly empty and the snow was untouched, save for the footsteps and wheel tracks the two of them left behind. Ai kept his eyes glued to the back of her head, covered in a knitted beanie which seemed to be too big for her. 

He had been opposed to the idea of her going outside, but he could not refuse her request. He was only an android, designed to follow her every order. Though she never ordered him, she always asked. His original data suggested that humans rarely or never treated androids like their equals, but she seemed to be an exception. He guessed it was because of her condition. (Y/N) was terminally ill and had no close relatives or friends who could take care of her, so Ai was given to her as support and as a companion. He still remembered their first meeting well. 

\---

_“Wake up.”_

_The android opened his eyes at the command. In front of him at the edge of a hospital bed sat a girl with H/L H/C hair, which seemed a bit messy, and E/C eyes. She was wearing a hospital gown, and a tube connected her arm to a bag which hung above her._

_“Commencing startup sequence. Master, please tell me what to call you.”_

_His voice sounded realistic, though a monotone, and the girl in front of him seemed a bit startled by it. She looked up at him with a small smile as she spoke._

_“My name is Y/N, you may call me that.”  
“Y/N has been registered. Please tell me what you want to call me.”  
Y/N though a bit before she smiled.  
“I’d like to call you Ai.”  
“Startup sequence completed. Nice to meet you, Y/N, my name is Ai. I’m here to help you. If there is anything I can do, all you need to do is give the order.” _

_Y/N looked at the android in front of her in wonder. He seemed perfectly human from his looks to his voice to his movements. It seems they even simulated breathing, by the way his chest was moving up and down, and he blinked from time to time. The only thing that gave him away was the lack of emotions behind his blue eyes._

_“Nice to meet you too, Ai. Will you please keep me company until I leave this world?”  
“Of course, I will, Y/N.” _

\--- 

Y/N was allowed to leave to hospital not long after that, and Ai went with her. Over the last few months, the two of them had been living together in her small apartment. Ai had made her food, took care of the cleaning, made sure she took her medicine... Anything to make sure she could live comfortably and so she wouldn’t strain herself. And for everything he did, she thanked him with a smile. Ai found himself liking her smile. At first, he wrote it off as his programming. It was his job to make her happy, after all. It wasn’t until the first time he smiled, that he started thinking more of it. 

\---

_“Y/N, I’ve finished doing the laundry and the dishes. All rooms have been dusted and vacuumed. I will start making dinner in 2 hours. Is there anything else you need me to do?”  
“No, that’s all. Thank you, Ai, you’re the best.” _

_Once again, she smiled sweetly at the android, and he felt his fans start to work a little harder. Was he overheating from the work? That would mean his fans started a little late. He needed to run a self-scan later._

_“You know Ai, you look really good like that.”  
“Like what?”  
“You know, smiling.”_

_Ai froze for a bit. He had not done that on purpose. He ran a quick self-scan, but everything seemed to be in order._

_“I see. If it makes you feel more at ease, I will smile more.”_

\---

Ai smiled more after that, sometimes on purpose, sometimes not, but it made Y/N happy, and that was all that mattered. His fans had been working harder more often whenever he was around her, and after running several self-scans, maintenance programs and updates, he could come to no other conclusion had he has subconsciously created this routine as a reaction to seeing her, much like humans start blushing. However, Ai was not human. He was an a.i., a robot. He was no human, and he shouldn’t be able to feel emotions. 

Though he had started to wish he could. 

He wished that he could feel emotions, that he had a heart he could share with this girl. She was so sweet, and deserved so much more, and yet she was alone. Ai noticed that she often gave him hugs or leaned against him, in search for some affection. He returned her affections physically, but there were no emotions behind his gestures, for he had none. 

“Hey, Ai?”

Her gentle voice reminded Ai they were out in the park together, and that he should focus on her instead of on her thoughts. 

“Yes, Y/N? Are you cold?”  
“A little, but it’s fine, I can handle it. Ehm… Ai… I have a bit of a weird request. Would you listen to it?”  
“I will do anything within my capabilities to grant it.”  
“Could I kiss you? It’s one of those things people talk about, but I’ve never done that before… and I thought I should at least kiss someone once before… you know.”  
“I understand. If that is what you want, I shall grant your request.”

Ai stepped away from behind her wheelchair and stood in front of her. Her face was red, probably from more than just the cold wind, and she was smiling at him nervously. Ai smiled a little himself, hoping it would put her a bit more at ease. 

“Are you ready?”  
“Yes.”

After getting permission, Ai leaned down, placed his hand on her cheek and gently kissed her. He wasn’t quite sure what exactly to do, kissing was not in his programming after all, so he just kept their lips connected for a little while before leaning back. He noticed her heart started beating a bit faster, and he could’ve sworn he felt something within his own chest as well. 

“Thank you, Ai.”  
“You’re welcome, Y/N. I suggest we leave the park for now and find a cafe where you can warm up a bit. If you want, we can come back later.  
“Okay.”

\---

It was only a few days later that Y/N’s condition took a turn for the worse. Ai knew this was probably the end for her, and he decided to stick by her side instead of taking care of the house like he usually would. He was surprised that such a lovely person like her didn’t have friends or family who came to visit her, certainly on her deathbed, but he decided not to ask about it. He wanted to make her final moments in this world as nice as he could. 

“Ai?” Her voice was weak ad barely audible by now, so Ai leaned in closed to hear her better.  
“Yes, Y/N?”  
“Thank you, for everything you’ve done for me.”  
“It was only natural, Y/N, don’t worry about it.”  
“You know, I often feel like you’re an actual person, instead of an android.”  
“Thank you, Y/N.”  
“I know you’ll say you’re not, because you have no emotions… but there’s a lot of people in this world who struggle with expressing their emotions, who don’t know how to handle them or what exactly they’re feeling… I think you’re one of them.”  
“I…. Thank you. That is nice of you to say.”  
“Don’t you think so?”  
“I wish I could have a heart filled with emotions, so I could share them with you. If there’s a god out there, I’d beg him to give it to me, so I could feel the same emotions as you.”  
“Ai… a wish is not made without emotions. You’ve had them all along.”

Finally, Ai realized what had been going on. He felt frustration, for not feeling emotions. He felt sadness, because nobody would come visit her. He felt happiness when he was with her, which caused him to smile. And he loved her, which caused his circuits to freeze a little whenever he saw her. He had emotions all along.

“Ai, please don’t cry.”

Surprised, Ai touched his cheeks, and found some water on there. 

“Y/N… I don’t want you to go…”  
“I’ll never be far, Ai. For as long as you’re alive… I’ll live on… within you…”  
“Y/N… I love you! I really love you!”

Y/N smiled brighter than anything Ai had ever seen, despite her weak body now. If only he could’ve said those words earlier. If only he could’ve seen her like this longer. But slowly, her body relaxed, her eyes closed. Her breathing had stopped, but a hint of her final smile remained. Ai embraced her body and cried. 

“I promise, Y/n… I’ll live for the both of us. I’ll do everything you still wanted to do but couldn’t, so please… watch over me.”


	3. Camus - Tsukiakari no Dearest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: none

“Good morning, my lady. It’s a nice, sunny morning. Today, you classes include piano, dancing, and history.”

Camus’s gentle voice sounded through the room as he opened the curtains. The young woman in the bed groaned and turned away from the window, not ready to wake up just yet. 

“My lady, it is time to wake up. You are expected for breakfast. Now is not the time for more sleeping. Did you say up too late reading again?”

Camus gently scolded, crossing his arms. Y/N pulled her blanket over her head. 

“Maybe…”  
“Lady Y/N, I admire your love for literature, but your rest should not suffer for it. You are a young woman, and you need your sleep to restore your energy and to keep up your appearance.”  
“Yeah, yeah. I’ll get up.”  
“Thank you, my lady. I’ll send the servants in to help you get ready for the day. Once you’re done, I’ll be waiting outside.”

Camus bowed lightly, and left the room. Not much later, a woman entered the room. She helped Y/N get dressed, did her hair and her make-up. Once she was ready, Y/N exited the room. Camus was still waiting at her door. 

“Glad to see you’re ready, my lady. Your parents are expecting you at the breakfast table. Allow me to escort you there.”

Once again Camus bowed, and escorted Y/N to the dining room. Breakfast was not very eventful. Y/N’s parents were both nobles, and were often too busy to spend much time with their daughter, which is why they hired Camus as both her servant and her tutor. At least once a week, they made time to have breakfast with Y/N, but it was mostly a formality. Conversations were mostly focused on Y/N’s classes. 

Once breakfast was over, Camus took Y/N to her first class of the day: piano. She had been practicing a piece over the last few lessons, and today she’d get to play it with Camus to see how well she’d do. Camus himself played cello, and Y/N often found herself disappointed that she had to focus on her playing. Whenever he started playing, Camus seemed to be a completely different person, and it often had Y/N wondering if there was more to her tutor than he let on. 

After Camus had deemed her playing good enough, they moved on to the next class: dancing. As a noble woman, Y/N was expected to attend several balls, and she couldn’t make a fool of herself at these gatherings. Camus would be her dancing partner, and a pianist would come over for these classes to play as long as they needed. 

Y/N enjoyed these classes. She was pretty good at dancing, and Camus was an excellent teacher. She didn’t mind the close proximity during dancing too much, if anything she enjoyed it. He was definitely good looking, and he appeared to be stronger than he looked. 

The dancing lessons continued until lunch, and after lunch they moved on to the most boring part of her classes: history lessons. The only thing good about it was Camus’s glasses. He only wore them when he had to read, but it accentuated his already classy features and made him even more attractive. 

“Lady Y/N, please pay attention. It is important for someone of your status to be knowledgeable.”  
“Oh come on Camus. We both know I’m just going to get married off to some other noble, no matter if I know my history lessons or not.”  
“Maybe, my lady, but you’ll be able to do more if you’re smarter. Learn from history and understand politics, and maybe you can change the future your parents have planned for you. That is something you wanted, right?”

Y/N looked down. He was right. She was not looking forward to being married off to just anyone who showed up and had money, land or power. She wanted to fall in love, and marry for love. Most people would tell her she needed to stop dreaming, but not Camus. He supported her to develop herself. He never told her she would be able to do it, he didn’t want to give her false hope, but he told her there were other women who did it. It was his way of saying that if they could do it, she could do it too. 

“You’re right, I’m sorry, Camus.”  
“That’s alright, as long as you understand. Now, let’s continue.”  
“Hey Camus, you’re noble too, right?”  
“I am.”  
“Don’t you have to get married in that case?”  
“Of course, but we’re talking about history, my lady, not about the future.”

The rest of the lecture passed slowly, history still didn’t really interest Y/N, but she tried to pay a little more attention. 

After class, Y/N and Camus went to the library. Y/N would spend her time until dinner either studying or reading, and Camus would be there to help her where needed, and otherwise to keep an eye on her. Y/N felt like she had done enough studying for the day, so she decided to pick up a book again. 

She had no idea how much time had passed before she looked away from her book again. The sun was starting to set, and she was wondering if maybe it was about time for dinner. Tearing her eyes away from her book and the window, Y/N looked at Camus. He was completely absorbed in his book and didn’t notice her looking at him. Y/N was a little shocked, because his face seemed different than usual, a lot colder. She had seen him before like that, but he never seemed to acknowledge it whenever she mentioned it. 

“Camus?” 

Camus looked up, and in only a second his face went back to usual.

“Yes, my lady?”  
“Are you ok? You seem a bit… different?”  
“Don’t worry my lady, I’m fine. Oh, would you look at the time, it’s time for dinner.”

Camus smiled, got up, and left the library, gesturing for Y/N to follow him. She wasn’t really convinced, but if he didn’t want to talk about it, there wasn’t much she could do. 

\---

After dinner, Y/N had retired to her room. She had taken the book she was reading with her, but she underestimated the time it would take for her to finish it. Not one to stop when she was nearly finished, Y/N lit a candle and continued reading. 

“My lady, are you reading late again? I’m sure I asked you this very morning to go to bed at a normal hour. ”

Y/N wasn’t sure what time it was, but judging by how dark it was and how well she could see the moon, she figured it was around midnight. 

“Well… yes… you did…”  
“Then why are you still awake?”  
“I kind of lost track of time?”  
“My lady, you should’ve known it was too late by the time you lit that candle.”  
“You’re right… please don’t be mad.”  
“Why would I be mad, my lady?”  
“Because you look mad? Or something like that? You’ve got the same look in your eyes as you had earlier today, in the library.”

Camus’s eyes widened. He had not noticed he had dropped his guard again. When he took this job, he decided that he’d keep up his gentle persona, as this often was better received by people than his actual character, and it was bound to work better on a young woman like Y/N. 

“Why can’t I deceive you?”

Y/N’s eyes widened. Camus had completely dropped the act. His voice was back to his usual deep tone, and his eyes seemed cold as ice. 

“What do you mean?”  
“Exactly what I say. When I took this job, I decided to use a gentle persona. This works better on girls of your age. You see a handsome face with a gentle smile and a higher voice, you feel at ease, and you’ll listen better. Yet somehow, you keep making me feel at ease, making me drop my guard. Whenever I smile at you and tell you it’s nothing, you keep asking about it the next time. Why?”  
“Because I’m interested in your well-being?”  
“Really? And how? As you’d be interested in the health of a random man on the street? As an acquaintance? As your tutor? As a friend? Or have I drawn you in further than that?”

Y/N froze. Certainly she was interested in him, but this was a whole new side of him. It surprised her, but she couldn’t say she disliked him being so direct and… dominant? While she was lost in her thoughts, Camus closed the door and approached the side of her bed, where she was still sitting. He took the candle and book from her hand, put them away on her nightstand.

“No need to answer that, your face says it all.”

Camus smirked and gave her a little push, making her fall back on the bed. He pinned her hands to the bed next to her and loomed over her. Y/N let out a small shriek at the sudden action and Camus shushed her. 

“Shhh, I won’t do anything you don’t like. But judging by the look you’re giving me, I doubt I could do anything to you that you wouldn’t like. Since you’re so interested in me, and it’s past midnight, maybe I should indulge you a little.”

He let go of one of her hand to change it for a lock of her hair, which he brought to his lips and kissed. 

“Or maybe I should make you mine alone.”


	4. Kotobuki Reiji - Dekiai Temptation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: angst at the end

Reiji entered the room and looked around. All around the room were people in fancy dresses and suits, sipping their expensive champagne, standing around tall tables or dancing in the middle of the floor. Classic music was heard throughout the room, loud enough to hear, but silent enough for conversations to be held without shouting too much. 

This wasn’t usually his kind of event. Camus was much more at home here, and even Ai seemed to acclimatize well. Ranmaru on the other hand was, just like Reiji, not at home in this super fancy setting. Both of them preferred their parties to be a bit more loose and easy going, but Shining Entertainment required them to attend. The gala was organized by a perfume manufacturer who had hired Quartet Night to help them promote their newest line. The gala was mainly for shareholders and sponsors, though because of their great work, Quartet Night was invited too.

People did recognize them fairly quickly and started talking to them. All of them were professionals and knew perfectly well how to behave, but that didn’t make it any less boring for Reiji, and it sapped his energy. By the time he managed to get away from the rest of Quartet Night, it was nearly midnight. Out of boredom, he had drunk quite a bit, leaving him a little tipsy. He decided to walk around a bit, and hopefully find a more relaxed place to sit out the rest of the party. 

While searching, one woman caught his eye. She was wearing a dress which accentuated her figure perfectly, her hair was put up, showing her neck and shoulders, and her makeup put the focus on her eyes, which seemed to stare right through everyone in the room. There was a dangerous air around her, but he felt himself being drawn in by her. As if she noticed his stare, she looked at him, smiled, and walked over to him. 

“Good evening, you’re Kotobuki Reiji, right?”   
“I am, can I ask your name?”  
“It’s L/N Y/N.”  
“Nice to meet you.”  
“I caught you staring, what did I do to deserve the attention of one of the members of Quartet Night?”  
“Looking the way you do, it’s hard not to stare. I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”  
“Oh you didn’t, quite the contrary.”

She grinned at him, and Reiji thought the room got hotter for a moment. He was surprised at his own bold words, but even more at her reaction. He felt a spark between them, and as if the universe had felt it too, the music switched from the usual classic music to something a bit more sensual. Judging from the look in her eyes once the music changed, she had the same idea. He grinned and held out his hand, she took it, and they both walked to the dancefloor. 

The two of them stuck together like glue, dancing the same dance that the other on the dancefloor did, yet they felt like they were the only ones there. Y/N was grinning, and Reiji found himself caught up in the moment. For as long as they danced, Reiji forgot he was at a party or that he was an idol, and he had a reputation to uphold. He forgot about paparazzi and rumors, and instead focused on the fire in her eyes, and the fire she was lighting inside him. 

Was the alcohol part of all this? Probably. Reiji generally kept up his reputation and thought twice about doing things like this, but not today. He knew this was going to bring trouble, and he knew he should thank her for the dance and leave now, but he brushed reason away for now. The party was big enough for people not to notice, right? 

“You know, Reiji, I’m actually a really big fan.”

Y/n looked at him from under her eyelashes, still grinning. The look in her eyes felt like a spell was cast over him, as if to draw him in further. 

“Oh really? Well then, I guess I should thank you for being my fan.”

Reiji leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. The kept the kiss short and sweet, a voice in the back of his mind was already scolding him for even leaning in. Y/N, however, didn’t seem to mind. 

“Do you do that to all your fans?”  
“Only those who catch my eye.”  
“I that case, maybe we should spend a bit more time together? Maybe away from all the other eyes in the room?”  
“That sounds good.”

She took his hand and guided him away from the party, as the clock struck midnight. He followed her in a daze, not sure if it was the alcohol or just her effect on him. She pulled him into an empty room and put her hands on his tie. 

“How about we get to know each other a bit better?”

\---

Reiji sat on the couch in the apartment he shared with the other Quartet Night members, hands in his head. Y/N turned out to be a reporter, and he had spilled too much information while they were in that room alone. Of course, the very next morning, everything he told her was on the internet, for everyone to read. Camus had just given him a good scolding on his behavior, and Ai told him the possible effects his would have on the group. 

He truly believed yesterday that there was a connection between him and Y/N. He decided that hit must’ve been the alcohol making him think that, hoping that would help make him and his broken heart feel better.


	5. Kurosaki Ranmaru - Only One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: mentions of cheating, breakup, alcohol usage

Ranmaru sighed and sat down at the bar. Another girl had dumped him. He had seen it coming, they had been fighting more frequently lately, and he had already found out she had been cheating on him. The only reason he hadn’t brought it up earlier, is because he believed he deserved this. Relationships had never worked out well for him. Cheating, attempts at controlling him, at changing him,… these were common. Yet he kept trying, because maybe, one day, he’d end up in a good relationship. 

As if. With his personality and his past, no normal woman could ever love him. They’d want a stable, well-off man who showers them in love and affection, not a grumpy, aggressive man in debt. Not that he’d tell anyone about the debt, he knew these relationships didn’t last long and not everyone had to know this. He ordered a drink, took a sip and sighed. No use in wallowing in self-pity for too long. 

His attention got caught by a soft sobbing. A few chairs to the right he noticed you, trying to stop your tears by drinking. You were dressed up nicely, but the makeup running down your face showed at you weren’t here waiting for your date to show up. A breakup, he guessed. After all, he was here for the same reason. The difference between the two of you, is that you probably didn’t see it coming. Ranmaru signaled the barman to give you another drink. 

As you were crying, a new glass was put on the bar in front of you. Looking up, you noticed the barman giving you a small smile. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t order-“  
“It’s from the young man over there.”

Looking over to where he was pointing, you noticed a man with silver hair and heterochronic eyes. He looked a little rough, but he was very handsome. As you caught his eye, he smiled a little and nodded towards you, before returning to his drink. This confused you, as often when men treated women to a drink at a bar, they wanted at least a conversation. Yet he didn’t seem to be very interested. You were quite happy with this, as you weren’t really in a conversation-with-a-stranger kind of mood. 

The evening progressed, and sadly the gentleman to your left wasn’t the only one who bought you a drink. More men did, or offered, but they did want a conversation. You refused all of them, which ended in a lot of dirty looks and words, which didn’t really make you feel any better. Just when another man was about to bother you, the silver-haired man stepped in. 

“I think the lady wants to be left alone.”  
“Oh really? And who are you to know what she thinks?”

The man stared at Ranmaru, clearly annoyed about his interference. The two stared each other down for a while, before the man grunted and walked off. Ranmaru sighed and visibly relaxed. Finally, he turned to you. 

“I can sit down next to you, if you want? We don’t have to talk, but it might keep people away from you.”  
“…why would you offer that?”  
“I’m guessing you’ve just been dumped? So have I, and I wouldn’t want to be bothered by other women trying to pick me up right now. I’m guessing you’re the same. If you want to talk, I’ll listen, but if you don’t want to, I can just sit next to you and make sure nobody else bothers you.”

You were shocked. Handsome, considerate, and he just got dumped? Who would dump a guy like that? After looking at him in disbelief, you realized you had to give him an answer, so you nodded at him. Ranmaru nodded back, grabbed his drink and sat down in the seat next to you. A few moments passed in silence, before you finally spoke up. 

“I’m Y/N, what’s your name?”  
“My name is Ranmaru.”  
“Thank you, Ranmaru.”  
“Don’t mention it.”

You stayed silent for a while, thinking your day and your whole situation over. Your boyfriend of two years had been cheating on you for the last 3 months with a colleague. He had casually dropped that bomb after a dinner to celebrate your 2 year anniversary. ‘This was a goodbye dinner’ he said. ‘I want to leave you so I can be with her’. After that he casually walked off. You were too shocked to ask for an explanation, or to stop him. Once you came to your senses he was long gone, and you broke down. Not wanting to go home yet, you decided the local bar would be a good place to drown your sorrows. 

That’s how you ended up here, next to this prince charming in a leather jacket, being protected by his company. The silence was quite comfortable and you had no intention to disturb it. Slowly but surely you calmed down, and realised how stupid you had been. Heartbreak or not, you should’ve known better than to go drink your sorrows away at a bar. Not one to waste a good drink though, you calmly finished your glass and say goodnight to Ranmaru, smiling slightly and thanking him once again before leaving the bar to head home. 

The moment the door fell shut behind you, Ranmaru regretted not asking your number. Sure, the situation might not have been right, but the moment he saw you smile, Ranmaru fell. Hard. It was only a small smile, yet it was enough for him to see how beautiful it was. How pure. However, he would have to live with the consequences. You were already gone. 

\---

That fateful evening had passed, and you were working at the local coffeeshop. You quite enjoyed your work there. The pay was nice, and your colleagues were amazing. When you told them what happened with your ex, they started asking you for his address to ‘pay him a visit’. You had quickly talked them out of it and got to work, but you noticed them looking out for you that day. 

Your shift was nearing its end, only 30 more minutes to go. You weren’t usually one to count down until you could go home, but today had just been bad luck all around. You had slipped on a patch of wet floor you hadn’t noticed, you had spilled drinks, a machine broke down while you were using it… At this point you just wanted to lie down on your couch and not move anymore. 

Breaking out of your thoughts you looked up at the customer that just came in, surprised to see a face you recognised. It was the man from the bar. His eyes widened at the sight of you as well, and his grumpy look turned into a smile. 

“Hey. Y/N, right?”  
“Yes! Your name was Ranmaru, right? What’ll it be?” you asked, already writing down his name on the cup. 

He gave you his order, and you started making it. What a coincidence to see him here again. Finishing up the order, you called his name and handed him the drink. 

“Here’s your coffee, enjoy!”  
“Thanks. Say, are you ok?”  
“I am, no need to worry! It takes more than that to keep me down!”

You smiled widely at him, nearly forgetting how bad your day had been. Ranmaru stared at you for a little. There was that beautiful smile again. Taking a deep breath, he made up his mind. 

“Hey, do you want to go on a date with me?”

He had no idea why, but he felt like this time, it could be different. Maybe this relationship wouldn’t be controlling or abusive. He watched your eyes go wide, your cheeks turn red, and thank god, you graced him again with your smile. 

“I’d love to. My shift ends in 25 minutes, if you have time?”

Ranmaru smiled too now, happy you seemed so eager. Yes, he could feel it. This time it would be different.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed it! Just wanted to let you guys know that song suggestions are welcome, so if you have an utapri song you really like, let me know! <3


End file.
